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Medics, volunteers help servicemembers recover for duty

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Shad Eidson
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group nurses and technicians join forces with base volunteers to help sick and injured servicemembers fully recover and get back in the fight. 

The In-Theater Care Program here was established to treat patients with non-debilitating injuries, non-urgent surgical needs or illnesses so the servicemembers can return to their forward operating bases and join their fellow Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors or Marines. 

"The In-Theater Care Program helps to decompress downrange medical facilities by treating non-urgent surgical and medical cases including occasional minor battle-injuries," said Maj. Treesa Salter, ITCP director. "The goal is to treat the patients and rapidly return them to duty without sending them out of the deployed theater." 

Most patients are able to be returned to duty within 30 days, the major said. If the condition requires more extensive treatment, they will be air evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany or back to the U.S. for enhanced treatment. Patients in the program are generally not severely injured but some may have experienced direct injuries in battle. 

"All of our patients are screened and assessed for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injury symptoms in addition to receiving treatment for their current condition. We use the whole person concept realizing they may have just evacuated a hot combat zone on the front lines and the transition may be difficult," said Major Salter. 

This program is different from the Wounded Warrior Project where veterans and civilian supporters provide tangible physical and mental support for severely wounded servicemembers returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, Major Salter said. Treating the patients locally is also more cost effective than sending them to Germany or returning them early to their home station, and minimizes the effects of leaving a shortfall at the deployed unit. 

"All of our deployed personnel within the theater are eligible for treatment here if injured and the capabilities or capacity is exceeded in other locations," Major Salter said. "We see patients from many forward operating bases out of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa." 

Since January, the ITCP helped around 35 outpatients per month with an average stay of 21 days per patient. The length of stay varies on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the patient's recovery. New patients arrive nearly every other day. This puts each patient at a different phase in the recovery and treatment spectrum, which the ITCP supports through the diverse skills of its medical staff. 

Registered nurses, on a weekly-rotational basis, provide the variety of medical services needed to accommodate the diverse patient population. 

These services are provided at the 379th EMDG, which relocated to a new building at Blatchford-Preston Complex in September 2008. Between medical treatments in the program, patients live in billeting in Coalition Compound where they are close to the "warrior day room" and the day-time activities available to them. The medical group has oversight of the day room with Airmen Readiness Center staff and volunteers conducting activities for the patients. 

The program wouldn't be as successful if not for the support of volunteers managed through the ARC, said Major Salter. The volunteer effort started in October and grew into a large force quickly. 

"We have more than 65 active volunteers and growing," said Major Salter. "They have contributed to improving the program in numerous ways and are an integral part in the program." 

Volunteers sponsor many daily activities to engage patients in pre- and post-operative phases of recovery, the major said. The activity room opens at 8 a.m. daily with volunteers ready to assist any patient whether it is helping with equipment items or providing simple social interaction. 

Volunteers help the ARC greatly with the program as the ARC staff, made up of two civilians and one NCO, maintain several other base programs while also supporting patients within the ITCP. 

"Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for their professionalism and their can-do attitude," said Kehinde Oshikoya-Pamphille, ARC community readiness consultant. "Whenever we call on them, there are at least 20 volunteers ready to get the task done. We are lucky to have so many people in place to make things happen." 

Volunteers recently painted and re-organized the ITCP warrior day room. More improvements are in the planning stages to enhance the activity room for patients. Units have also volunteered by sponsoring activities with recent events like coordinating a BBQ and conducting a military-working-dog demonstration. 

"The ARC staff have been outstanding supporters of what we are trying to do for the patients," said Major Salter. "My kudos to the ARC and the volunteers for working so diligently with the ITCP." 

Volunteers are not the program's only source of support. Many organizations, churches, veterans and others from the United States have made generous donations to support the injured servicemembers during their recovery, Major Salter said.